My stepson will be so glad to hear about that one.
Got to grudgingly hand it to the Apple folks ... they certainly did not make it simple for hackers.
The company could have directed an analog output to the Lightning connector, making it a simple matter for someone to solder up a suitable adapter. But no, the Apple designers put the D-to-A converter inside the plug. That obligates you to buy their crap.
Here is a teardown of an Apple Lightning headphone adapter, showing in micro-fine detail how they've got us by the onions.
Its why I stick to Android for my mobile devices.
Craple has always wanted to be stuck in their own world as far as their OS. It was the fact that their computers started to use Intel that a hacker found a way to install Windows on an overpriced Apple using a lower speed i3 processor instead of i7 (at that price it should be) or at least an i5.
The false security that you can't get a virus on a mac device is puzzling. Android phones usually don't get many unless you root the phone and even then if you use caution it should not be an issue. My stepson regrets the day he allowed my Stepmom to talk him into an iPhone just for Facetime when Facebook Video, Skype, and plenty of cross platform apps would have done the same thing for him to talk to the kids he loves. So many suckers get caught into a $1000 phone just to keep their status.
There are other reasons to use Apple phones over Android.
Android is very unstable compared to IOS. I do prefer Android for playing around on, but even I recently got an iPhone 8 to use as my primary cell phone - I just got tired of all the various unresolved Android issues (which vary from phone to phone).
One of the problems we see in a university environment is the Rev level of the operating system on Android devices can vary from device to device. This creates issue when trying to either roll out apps or download software apps for the workplace.
With a shared iTunes account I can download a book or app and it shows across all my devices. No buying for each device. My wife is a teacher who is software ambidextrous. She's good with either IOS or Windows. I have never spent $1K on a phone. The most expensive was the 13 inch iPad Pro for 800 bucks. 4 speakers it sounds very good.
The main trouble with Android is there is a nearly uncountable number of variations of systems in use, and about as many customized versions provided by the various service providers. So it's difficult to make apps and hardware that are compatible with even half the devices.
At the moment the most current Android system is on 12% of Android devices in use. The latest version of the Apple IOS is on 81% of devices in use. Which system would you rather be creating apps for?
There are of course way more Android devices in use simply because you can buy a new Android phone in a blister pack off a peg in Walmart for $24.00. It runs an old system and is slow, but it's an Android, and it counts toward their total.
Each system has it's plusses and minuses. Some people need an inexpensive device. People like me need one that always works and doesn't need me to diddle around with it. The fact that Apple is VERY picky about what gets into their app store nearly guarantees me that whatever apps I install, they will be compatible, and not full of junk. Android has probably 50% of available apps being free and full of adware and other BS, or are just plain not useful, who's only purpose is to get on phones and sell stuff to the user.
The only smartphones I've ever owned have been iPhones. Wife and daughter have had Androids until they both realized how much more elegant and user friendly my phones were and after several years they came over to Apple as well.
I too have never spent $1000 on a phone. But I also don't run out and get the latest model as soon as it's released.
As for the connector referenced above, remember the devices COME WITH headphones, or earbuds, or whatever and you can use them just fine without an adapter, and there are plenty of headphones with lightning connectors that don't need the adapter as well. A small percentage of users will want to interface with other audio devices, or spend the $$ on alternate headphones. And if they do the cost of the adapter is no big deal.
Hell, I remember when everything came with a 1/4 inch plug and people were all having a cow when most headphones starting coming with 1/8" plugs.
Amusing that people who don't WANT an Apple product, who are not affected by the need for this adapter, get all upset about it.
And since the D/A converter is in the adapter that explains why it costs more than a hunk of wire with plugs on the end. Were that converter IN the phone it would take up a teeny tiny piece of space that I'm sure is used for something else now, and would also draw some power reducing battery life. Silly to have it if you're not using it.
As for Apple products, I've used them at home in my office and recording studio for 20 years. In fact, more like 25 years. I have NEVER had to have one repaired. NEVER had to have a virus removed, NEVER owned any anti-virus software. Finally, three weeks ago my first iMac died. This after 13+ years of being on 24/7, and used heavily by a family of 6 20 hours of the day. I had a handy, automatic backup of everything provided by Apple's Time Machine software (that comes with the computers) that let me simply, and with two clicks, install everything in to the new machine with zero issues.
On the other hand, at work where I'm forced to use PC's in the studio, we replace two per year. Sometimes more if it's a bad year. We've tried different brands, we've even had expensive "custom built" PC's made for the studios that always have hard drive failures, power supply failures, fan failures, video card failures, etc. NEVER had to repair a Mac.
My Part 15 station runs on an old iMac I bought for the purpose. It's been on 5 years. Know how much downtime? ZERO. It just keeps on playing the hits and commercials like it's supposed to. Comparing 20 years of using PC's at work, and 20 years of using Macs in my home office and studio, I'll never buy a PC if I have a choice. In fact, at my office at work, I have a mac. That I buy myself, just so I can have a decent computer in my own office. Completely compatible with all the PC's in the office, and works fine on the in-house network. It's nice to have at least one elegant, reliable computer in the building. When I'm in the studio on the air at work, one thing other staff hear me yelling from the studios is "Do you have to pay EXTRA to get computers that run THIS SLOW?" It's frustrating to come to work after, say a week off, where I've been on the Mac at home and have to come use the PC's at work again. So SLOW. And, no, they're not old dated machines. They're just poky compared to my home machines.
But, it's like arguing Coke vs Pepsi, Canon vs Nikon, Ford vs Chevy. Everyone has their own favorites and their own reasons.
TIB
Apple devices have their issues as well. There is a price to be paid for having one company control virtually everything, from hardware, O/S and even some apps.
For example, IOS app developers literally CAN'T develop an alternative browser to Safari. Well, they can, but it has to go on top of the core services of Safari. If Safari doesn't support a particular web site, and there are plenty of those, you can't just go and find another browser that will (as they're all basically Safari with different interfaces). I just recently went through that process. If Safari doesn't work for you, you're hooped.
Apple devices DO break. Depending on the version of iPhone or Apple computer that you're using, you can find plenty of weak spots (from fingerprint sensors, home buttons, bending and screen lifting, etc.). It's just that one company makes them all, so the breaking is somewhat predictable.
There are PC and Smartphone makers that produce computers that are as reliable, or even more reliable, than Apple devices. It's just that they tend to be just as expensive as those Apple devices (or almost as much), and Android devices got to be popular because they are, on the surface, less expensive.
The innards of IOS are in a word, ridiculous. File names don't remain constant when transferred to an iPhone, and files are basically hidden away in each app (as opposed to having one, easily accessible file system (which does exist - it is essentially UNIX, after all). You can get around that by using a File Manager (such as File Hub) but you shouldn't have to 'get around' anything in a $1000 device. As another example, if you want to use the file metaphor to play music (as opposed to ID tagging), it's difficult to do so with IOS (File Hub will work, but has limitations) - you might want to do this if you have lots of music with no or erroneous tags. It takes all of several seconds to locate a file-folder oriented music player, full featured, under Android. I've gone through this process as well.
The iPhone is great as a stable, simple, easy to use phone. If it includes what you want to do with it in its core services, then you're golden.
Android is far more of a developer O/S. Phone makers put layers on top of it to make it easier to use, and it's there that a lot of problems are added. Plain vanilla Android (such as that which is found on Google devices) is better. The issue is that Google pushes the technology (and the software) out the door far too quickly, with insufficient testing. The downside is that things can go wrong, the upside is that you're far more likely to find that app that you want on Android than on IOS, particularly if its cutting edge.
Bottom line - I use an iPhone for a phone and basic things such as photos, e-reader, etc. because I want it to be reliable and always work.
I use Android for more heavy duty data applications, such as media, usenet, web browsing, etc. I can put up with some instability to get the functionality that I want.